Chapter 4: HAILEY

AN

Unravel Me Playlist on Spotify.

Song; Bon Iver- Skinny love

“Hailey no! I said no!” I groaned loudly, rubbing at the ends of my hair with a towel to speed up the process of it drying.

Hailey was sitting on the bed, fingers furiously typing away at her laptop that rested on her lap. I was seated at the foot of her bed.

“Don't be an ass Nessa, this could be a great chance!” She says frustratingly, turning the laptop around so I could see what was on the screen. In big bold words there it was.

‘GRAYFELL'S ANNUALLY REGISTRATION NOW OPEN!'

Muttering words under my breath I turned back around and furiously rubbed at my hair once more.

It took a good scrubbing to get rid of the white plaster that had practically made itself home on my hair.

“Yeah a one in a million chance Hales.” I grumbled.

“I don't understand why you won't at least try!” She reasons once more, desperate to make me see that this was a great opportunity.

“Why would I want to go to a ridiculously expensive school where people over there are probably snobby as fuck?” My voice had gone up a few octaves so I hastily lowered it back down.

“Not to mention this is Graymoore we're talking about! Graymoore and BourneFell, helloo! The people who are eating this town!”

She shakes her head and runs her hand down her blond hair vigorously. She looked like she was going to shake me drastically.

I make people frustrated. Hmm...

“You and I both know that isn't the real reason.” She moves to sit next to me on her lavender covers.

She was staring at me with those green eyes so intently I nearly caved. Which I did.

“Hailey, you know why,” I blew out a breath, feeling a heavy pressure rest on my chest.

Not wanting to feel that, I stood up and made my way over to her huge mirror, drying my hair in the process.

“Vanessa that was a long time ago. He left you I know-”

“He didn't leave me Hales. You know that.” I didn't mean for the words to come out as harsh as I thought it would.

But it happened. And I hated it. I hated this feeling. Like I was going to cry all over again.

No. No more tears.

“And you have no idea how sorry I am.” Hailey gets up from her position and stands next to me, her hand over my shoulder as the both of us stare at our reflection.

The sound of rain outside lightly hit the glass windows of Hailey's room.

Great, rain. Looks like even?it?pity's me.

“You need to move on Ness. Being stuck here... constantly being reminded of him. Its not good.” She's trying to make me feel better but it wasn't working.

Sighing, I brush her hand away and sat down on the bed, hands on my head.

“Hailey, even if I did send in my name, there is no way I'm going to get chosen.” I explained, trying to tell her that there was no chance.

“No, screw that Annually right now. I'm talking about getting the hell away from this place.”

What?

“You mean move? With you?” My mouth opened and closed like a gaping fish. She wanted me to go with her? I knew that Hailey was moving but I didn't know she was moving so soon.

I mean she only talked about moving after graduation. We still had two more years. Plus, she was living with her parents.

“Yeah...” She nodded.

“We're-I mean, my parent's are moving to this town right outside New York. My parent's will live there but I'll have my own apartment at the Big Apple.”

If I didn't notice that the smile on her face was sad. I would've mistaken it for happiness.

The revelation of it hit me.

“You bitch...” I said lowly, my eyes sinking with sadness. “Why didn't you tell me?”

Her emerald eyes held still for a moment and then it finally cracked before she lunged at me, sobbing like her life depended on it.

I sighed heavily, not knowing what to say as I held her in my arms, gently stroking her blond hair. The problem with her parent's had gotten worse.

So much so that I could feel Hailey's heart break into a million pieces. She didn't deserve to watch her parent's get a divorce.

How long has she been holding onto this?

“The same reason why you didn't tell me.” She mumbled, her words muffled.

“H-How bad is it?” I asked, unsure as I gently pulled away but kept my hands on her arms.

“My Dad's planning on moving by the end of the month. He wants to stay at the new place until he finds somewhere else to go to.” She explained, rubbing her tears.

“They thought... getting me an apartment on my own will be good for me so I don't have to witness them fighting.”

They were so wrong. I knew Hailey. She never liked being alone. Now that her parent's are divorcing, she needs them more then ever.

“Hey, you listen to me.” I shake her lightly so she had my attention.

“Everything's going to be okay alright? It's hard now but it'll get better. I promise.” Pulling her in for a hug again, she begin to sob uncontrollably as she accepted it.

“I hate this place Ness. You may love it but I don't. My life is miserable here. Which is why... I decided to move.” Her words were raspy.

Filled with pain. Pain she kept for so long. As I sat there, my best friend in tears and my mind filled with memories of my childhood when I lived here came tumbling back, it finally dawned on me.

All my life I felt as though staying in this place was a must. A burden. A necessity.

But I was wrong. Despite all the bad things that had happened here I still managed to see the good of it. But it was only temporary.

I was waiting.

“You're wrong about one thing.” I commented, eyes staring blankly at the wall in front of me.

“I don't love this place. I never did. And I'm miserable too.” She stayed silent, trying to comprehend what I just said.

I wasn't lying when I told her this. This place made me into something I wasn't. It had the potential to do it again.

No.

I held no love for his town.

I was afraid of it.

“I'll move. It's... the best thing right now.”

Waiting. Waiting for what? For this moment.

Ethan was right all along. The longer I stayed, the worse it'll get.

Get out. Get out while you can!

“Are you... really going to do it?” Hailey wrap an arm around mine, green eyes burning with anxiety and fear.

When I didn't reply for quite some time Hailey once more shook me.

“Yes, I'll move. I'll move with you.” That was all the confirmation she needed.

Her once sad eyes lit up and filled with joy. It was hard not to smile with her.

“You're moving in my apartment right?” She raised an eyebrow, using the back of her left hand to wipe away her remaining tears.

“Are you joking? No way am I going to pass a free bed.”

She scoffed playfully, unhooking herself from me so she could follow my gaze out her window.

She kept quiet, the both of us lost in our minds as the tiny patter of rain hit the glass, shiny droplets running amok.

Things were going to be harder from here on out. She knew that too.

“We're Juniors now... In six months we'll be Seniors.” She turns to look at me.

“Do you think we'll be okay?” She asks, heavy with fear of the unknown.

Drawing back my scattered thoughts, I pulled my red hair back up my head as it was obstructing my view.

“Two girls from a lonely town called NorthVille? New York will never know what hit them.” I grinned, flipping my hair over my shoulder dramatically.

She laughs at my actions and turned slightly so she could reach for her laptop.

“Now, about that Annually...”

“HAILEY WILLIAMS for the love of god!”